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As millions of Americans celebrated the first day of Kwanzaa on Sunday (December 26), Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green condemned the holiday on Twitter.
In response to a "Happy Kwanzaa" tweet from the College Republican National Committee, Rep. Greene tweeted, "Stop. It’s a fake religion created by a psychopath."
Green continued, "You aren’t bringing in new voters, you are turning them away. People are tired of pandering and BS."
It should be noted that Kwanzaa is not a religion, but rather an annual holiday and celebration of African-American culture.
While the College Republican National Committee didn't respond to Greene’s tweet, the organization's Twitter account retweeted several Kwanzaa-related posts shared by other conservatives.
In 1966, Dr. Maulana Karenga, professor and chairman of Black Studies at California State University, created Kwanzaa following years of widespread violence by police against Black communities across the US that led to multiple cities erupting into days-long protests and riots.
In the wake of the Watts riots –– and other similar events around the country –– Dr. Karenga searched for a way to bring unity to the African Americans. He founded the cultural US organization, and began to research traditional African first fruits and harvest celebrations.
Kwanzaa — derived from the Swahili phrase "matunda ya kwanza" which means "first fruits" — is an annual weeklong celebration. Though individual families' Kwanzaa celebrations can look different, the holiday is known to include candle lighting ceremonies, poetry readings, dance, drumming, and more.
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